In general, a construction machine represented by a hydraulic excavator is provided with an automotive vehicle body, an engine mounted on the vehicle body and electronically controlled by a control device, a hydraulic pump which is driven by the engine and sucks an oil liquid in a tank and delivers a pressurized oil, a hydraulic motor for traveling which is driven by the pressurized oil delivered from the hydraulic pump, and a traveling operation device provided on the vehicle body and driving and operating the hydraulic motor during traveling of a vehicle (Patent Document 1).
This type of conventional art construction machine (particularly a small-sized hydraulic excavator called a mini excavator) has a traveling speed switching member for switching a traveling speed of a vehicle by the hydraulic motor. This traveling speed switching member is provided on the front side of an operator's seat of the vehicle body and selectively switches the traveling speed of the vehicle at least in two stages of a low speed and a high speed by manual operation by the operator.